Chapter 4

3 years ago….

"Sakura! Baby. Bring us another round?" A man calls to her as she walks by their table.

"Of course." She puts on her best smile, letting the annoyance at being called baby wash away. Customer entitlement just came with the job, and if she was honest; it was worth the tips she left with at the end of the night.

At least almost always worth the tips.

Rather than her normal business pace that she uses on her rotations at the hospital, she purposely walks a little slower and sashays her hips as she walks over to the bar top to pick up their drinks.

Kiba's chatting up some middle-aged women further down the bar top. He may be the same age as she is, but he shows no discomfort at being objectified by the opposite sex. One woman reaches over the bar top to playfully hit his shoulder, and the other giggles. Sakura rolls her eyes.

Come on Kiba… my drinks?

She stands at the server station leaning over the counter to try and catch his attention.

The front doors swing open and a cold draft of air makes its way into the bar, prickling her skin with goose flesh. She turns to find Sasuke and Naruto heading toward her.

Sasuke realizes on walking in the door that they might actually come by here to check on Sakura too often. He recognizes the face of a lanky blonde guy in Sakura's section. Recognizes him as the guy that touches Sakura's waist way too often when he's good and drunk. Sasuke glares at him without reservation.

He recognizes the guy next to him too. The quiet dark-haired man who's quick to apologize but never lifts a finger to stop his buddies from getting too handsy with the staff. He makes sure to make eye contact with him as well and feels great satisfaction when they visibly cower in their seats.

He'd been getting that reaction more and more since they marked the Leaf emblem across his chest and shoulder. Every member got inked on their initiation, a five or so hour process the day after the celebration. He hung-over as hell that day, but he grit his teeth and pushed through it anyways. He was an Uchiha, after all; and he was eager to join the team his brother had once been on.

Naruto had yacked three times during his inking, the memory brings a smirk to his face.

From the table his eyes scan across the bar top until they reach a pair of long pale legs. His eyes follow them up appreciatively to the bottom of her dress. She's leaning on the bar top at the server's station just enough to draw a man's attention but not enough to reveal anything underneath her short choice of attire. His imagination has no problem filling in the rest of the details, making his blood run hot and his pants suddenly feel too tight while simultaneously triggering his temper. Temper, not jealousy, he reminds himself. Of the men around them drinking and likely imagining something along the same lines, if not something far more perverse. How Sakura puts up with the patrons at this kind of place he has no idea.

His gaze reaches the curve of her hips, and her perfectly round ass. Then skimming up to where her waist snatches in and her pink hair tumbles down her back. It's finally long again after she cut in two summers ago.

His breath still catches a little when he sees her, but he'd never admit that to anybody.

It's a shame the news they're here to deliver is going to make her mad as hell, he thinks wistfully. He'd already resigned himself to the verbal beating they were both about to endure since they had once again put her in harm's way because of their roles in the gang.

Growing up he had loved his clan name. He was proud to wear the fan crest on his back to show that he was an Uchiha. Proud to know that one day he would join the Leaf just like his brother and his father, and his father's father before him. A war was brewing, everyone knew it; had known it for years as the tense relations with Sound continually worsened. Not that their relations had ever been friendly. Sasuke and Naruto, like most of the children of the core families, had been eager to join the ranks growing up. Sound could declare open war any week now, and Leaf had been discussing launching the first attack for even longer. Things were tense.

But now he found himself wondering more and more where that would leave him with Sakura.

He and Naruto had been initiated just last summer, and already it felt like a chasm had opened up between him and Sakura. Though he knew thinking about it wouldn't help the fact of the matter. He had a duty to Konoha, to his team, to Leaf. At the end of the day, to Sakura too. They couldn't win the war without soldiers.

He steels himself as they approach her at the bar. It was all for her safety and one day, he was sure she would understand.

She cocks her head curiously at them as she leans back against the bar, "What's up guys?" Her forced smile turning genuine. "Can I grab you a drink?"

"Hey Sak..." Naruto's smile is tight and awkward as he scratches his head.

"Not tonight, I need to ask you a favor." Sasuke gets straight to the point. Her normally light green eyes are a dark emerald in the low bar lighting, but they're expressive as ever as they meet his. Surprise at first, then subdued anger. It was a look he had become all too familiar with lately.

"We need to ask you a favor," Naruto corrects hastily, sending a side glare towards Sasuke.

"Cut the shit guys. I'm working." She replies tartly because she knows exactly where this is headed. They'd been pulling this same crap since they were initiated.

Like it had somehow slipped their minds that things hadn't been any safer before last summer. Or that until they had shot up to six-foot-something, she had easily kicked both of their asses on numerous occasions. Yet somehow, they still justified trying to tuck her safely away whenever the gang had a threat, or even a particularly risky mission.

"Come on Saaaak," Naruto whines, "You know we wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Sakura's smile melts from her face. "I never get to hang out with you guys anymore because it's 'too dangerous'," she replies icily, "but somehow I seem to still be in some sort of danger all the same."

Sakura turns to walk away from them; like hell could they keep coming in here and doing this to her. If she was going to be so involved in their gang business, they should let her fucking join. Not all their members had to be grandfathered in. They were just being stupid proud presumptuous overbearing men about the whole thing.

Sasuke grabs her by the elbow bringing her to a halt, "You're not safe alone. It'll just be tonight, come on."

She pulls her arm out of his grip, "First off, I'm not alone." She gestures around to all the folks in the bar. "And second, I'm not helpless, but if it'll make your feel better Kiba will walk home with me. It'll be fine." She growls. "Every time you find yourselves in a touchy situation you tell me to jump. Well fuck that. I'm not leaving work just because you're worried again. I need this job."

"What do you make in a night. I'll double it. Come on Sakura." Sasuke says without breaking his gaze from scanning the room.

"That's insulting." She sputters, looking at Sasuke like he's grown a second head. "Get. out." She bites out each word, her expressive eyes going cold.

"Sasuke…" Naruto says in warning, then opens and shuts his mouth a few times, unsure of quite what to say to apologize for his friend's blunt insensitivity without losing their ground in the argument. Because he can't deny it either; he wants Sakura to come with them just as badly. He can't think straight when he's worried about her.

"Did you not hear me? Get. The. Hell. Out." Sakura's temper is quickly rising, as is her voice. "I have tables to serve, I don't have time to deal with this shit."

"And next time your injured. Go to the bloody hospital." She storms away from them and back to the bar where Kiba is still flirting and her drinks still haven't been poured.

"Kiba." She says sharply, and then nods none-to-subtly to the order she rang in. He visibly jumps and hurries to pour the beers. She takes them as he passes them across the bar and heads back to her tables with a huff.

Sasuke and Naruto hang around for a few more minutes. Naruto visibly arguing with Sasuke before they come to some sort of agreement and head out.

Sakura swallows down some guilt, but mostly sighs with relief when they finally take off. Medical school was expensive, and she was determined to pay her own way. Despite Sasuke's overbearing attitude on the matter. I guess when someone grows up with so much money, it means something slightly different to them. And despite his nonchalance in offering, she knew it was his way of showing he cared.

It wasn't his fault he was a tad emotionally stunted.

She smiles fondly despite herself at the thought of him, her temper ebbing away. Dumb boys.

But they were her boys. Since she had socked a boy bullying Naruto in first grade and Sasuke had taken the blame for her when the teachers dragged the three of them into the principal's office.

Uchiha's didn't get detention, everyone knew that, but little Sakura already had to work twice as hard as everyone else to be taken seriously with her candy pink hair.

The three of them had been inseparable ever since.

The rest of the shift passes without incident and soon enough they do last call so they can start shutting things down. The 'fun' part of serving was the eight hours she spends running around to serve her tables, the aftermath of that downright sucked. Busing the tables, clearing gross plates and glasses, hauling the bar chairs up onto the tables so they could sweep the floor... All while her feet are throbbing, she hasn't had a minute to eat since she started and all she can think about is sleep.

Kiba finally locks up just after 1AM. Sakura waits on the sidewalk a few steps behind him as he secures the doors. The street is empty and so quiet it's almost eerie; were she not so familiar with this routine. The air is still muggy, the humidity so heavy in the air Sakura's skin already feels damp.

"What did Sasuke and Naruto want earlier?" Kiba asks her as he gives the handle a final tug. Content that the doors are properly locked, he turns around to look at her expectantly.

"Same old shit. They don't want me to join the missions and yet whenever something happens I feel like I'm the first person to go into lock down. It's ridiculous. I'm not living my life dictated by something I'm not even a member of."

"How can you be a part of Leaf and not be involved in the missions..?" Kiba gives her a weird look.

"Exactly my point."

"Baby girl. I don't know how you did it but those two are wrapped so tight around your finger." He whistles in admiration.

"Not helpful Kiba." She gives him a side-glance as they walk down the block. "And not remotely true, or I wouldn't be the only one who's always in the dark."

"Ah, you just don't see their side." He holds up his hands as she starts to refute his point, "Woah, woah. Lemme explain. You've got two male alphas, both in line for some major roles in the gang… Major, major roles. Just want to make sure that's clear." He winks. "And then their woman." He shrugs like that explains everything. "It's classic misdirected caring. We're bad for it as a gender, sorry babe." He gives her a knowing smile.

"Ugh. Men." She grumbles as Kiba laughs.

"I'm sure if you sparred with them they might realize how hard you've been training." He suggested.

"Not yet."

Every morning for the past year she had been hitting the mats at the Main House to train with whomever she could get to spar with her. Mostly Kakashi and Jiraya, though she had been trying to work up the courage to ask Tsunade to mentor her. Few others had jumped at the chance to get up before the sun rose, but early mornings had never bothered her. She was proud of how fast she had improved, but she wasn't ready to tell Naruto or Sasuke about it.

Well, she had no intention of ever telling them. Showing them was more along what she was thinking. By knocking their stupid heads on their asses; preferably in front of the whole gang.

They walked up to her apartment entrance.

"See you Saturday?" She asked him as she turned the lock.

"Yeah. I'll be in. Night Sak." He waited until she was inside before walking on.

"Night Kiba."

"What was that all about?" Naruto pries as they walk away from the bar.

"Nothing." Sasuke hopes he'll just drop it, but knowing Naruto that might take a small miracle. Which meant he was about to be in for possibly the most annoying ten minutes of his life. Like hell did he want to go through the past six months of his and Sakura's relationship with a microscope. He would rather lose an eye than be forced through such a painfully bleak conversation.

He was finding more and more often that Naruto wasn't quite as clueless as he seemed at first glance, which was a weird concept for him to wrap his head around after knowing him for so long.

"I don't know man… that didn't seem like nothing to Sakura." He's fishing now, looking at him suspiciously from where he's walking next to him.

"Just focus on the mission, idiot."

"You know Kiba keeps arms hidden all over that place, right? The only safer place she could be is the main house."

Or my flat, he thinks to himself. He sure as hell would've preferred her there, considering what they were on their way to do.

He just didn't understand why she took it so damn personally. Didn't she realize it's because they fucking care about her?

After Sakura had told them to fuck off he knew there was little chance he'd be able to get her off his mind now. Despite his fury at her refusal to leave earlier, she was fucking hot when she was angry.

She didn't want their protection?

Fine.

One of the rare moments he wished he could mull it over with someone else before making a decision, Shikamaru in particular; but Sakura had been a sensitive topic lately.

"Sakura beat up nearly every guy in school, including your ass." Naruto reminds him with a snicker.

"And your's man." Sasuke rebuts. "But we aren't kids anymore."

"Well lucky she's not in the line of fire, she's working at the bar." Sasuke was starting to hate how reasonable he was sounding. "All I'm saying is while I'd also way rather she was with some of the gang right now, I think she can fend for herself alright too."

Sasuke ignores him. He knew Naruto would back him up when it came to Sakura's safety regardless of how well he thought she could take care of herself; because Sakura had always done it for them. Naruto didn't see the whole picture yet; but he would soon enough. Once the stalemate ended things would get a whole lot worse.

"Why the hell aren't you and Sak a thing yet?" Naruto asks abruptly, still speaking far louder than Sasuke would prefer. Especially as he mentions Sakura and him.

"Dumbass. I'm right here." He's pretty sure there's no one else on the street, but he could never be too careful.

"Well?" Naruto crosses his arms, never one to take a hint. Or even a direct complaint.

"Still just friends."

"I'm not blind!" Naruto snorts.

Oh, really? Sasuke can't help but smirk. He and Sakura had been sleeping together for months and to his knowledge, no one was yet the wiser. Naruto was as clueless as ever. He was still on the fence about Ino, if only because Sakura has told her everything since kindergarten. To his surprise, Ino was actually decent at keeping secrets. But treating him indifferently was all together outside of Ino's skill set, and she hadn't so much as given him a weird look in the last 6 months.

Aside from her usual attempts to catch his eye, which of course he professionally ignored.

Things with Sakura were… complicated. He wasn't even sure why. She was his best friend and had always been the light to his dark, even as kids. Naruto and her both. Funny that someone as cynical as himself surrounded himself with such sunny people.

But then he and Naruto were initiated, and well, Sakura hadn't been. They brought her on as a medic and future surgeon but she saw no field duty and she couldn't know any details of gang business. Which more often than not, meant he and Naruto couldn't tell her about most of what was going on in their lives.

Well, it was more than that. Sakura deserved better than war. She was so god damn pure. So quick to help others, always putting his and Naruto's needs before her own. He didn't want her in this life, but she was relentless. The only thing he had going for him was her value as a future doctor; She was too important to be sent out on missions. At least he and Tsunade saw eye to eye on that if nothing else.

Her and Naruto still seemed friendly, which pissed him off to no end. How could he be messing this up so badly while that blundering idiot could still make her laugh like they weren't on the brink of a war?

Sakura had been busy with school before they started their training, but she'd started spending more and more hours between the library and the hospital after the summer ended. Sasuke was sure in part to avoid him; at least he'd thought so for a few days until she'd shown up at his apartment after getting off work late at the bar.

And she kept showing up, whenever she couldn't sleep he assumed. It was sporadic but consistent enough.

He'd be lying if he said he didn't live for those nights.

She never messaged but she always knocked, despite having a key. He was a light sleeper, always had been, but now with war tensions so high he found he slept less and less, waking at the slightest noises.

He would open the door and she would be in his arms, her clothes quickly littering the floor. There was no order to their meetings, no reservations; more like a clash of wills.

Sometimes they made it to his bedroom, but he'd just as often taken her there against the wall, or on the counter, or on the couch. He didn't care, he just needed her. The smell of her skin and her hair.

He couldn't get enough of her, drinking her in, unable to touch enough of her body fast enough. Sometimes she would stay till the morning; their legs tangled together under the sheets as he held her close. Her pink hair mixed up in his dark locks. He couldn't help but think the colours looked a certain kind of beautiful together in their contrast. His arm was almost always numb when he woke but he didn't give a shit. If this was the only time she would give him now, he would take it. Happily.

Other times he would wake as she kissed him softly and left early in the morning for her internship at the hospital.

Then aside from that, he never saw her and almost never heard from her, unless she was fuming angry about something. He was annoyed he hadn't noticed as she gradually pulled back from his life until months had passed and he'd never seen her outside of the middle of the night or when he would drag her back to the main house for safety during the odd mission, or threat.

At least it was safer that she was busy.

Even safer if she would stop coming by his place. Or if she would stop meeting Naruto for lunches and coffees.

If he was honest with himself though, he would give anything to keep her coming back. Until he could figure out how to fix things between them.

They lapse into silence for a few blocks before Sasuke replies, "Things are only going to get worse when the stalemate ends." Referring to the cold war Konoha and Oto had been in for the better part of his adult years. "Thousands die in wars Naruto. She can't be one of them."

Naruto's eyes soften as he looks over to his friend, staring stubbornly ahead as he reveals how deeply he truly cares for her. Naruto thinks it may be one of Sasuke's only redeeming qualities.

"Agreed. Don't worry Sasuke, we won't let anything happen to her." Naruto nods with a grim look of determination.

And despite himself, he finds he feels slightly better about leaving Sakura at work. And possibly a little guilty about how fiercely he tried to convince her to leave with them. But he smothers that fairly quickly, there was no room to second guess himself in this line of work.

The two of them walk the rest of the way in silence.

The air is thick with humidity, the kind where it feels like you're wading through water instead of air. The moisture clings to his skin and makes his clothes feel damp, but it does nothing to cut the heat that pervades even after the hot Konoha sun has set.

The noises of life all around him become noticeable in the absence of their talking. He can hear the buzz of cicadas in the trees, and the leaves as they rustle in the breeze. He can hear the faint sound of the cars a few blocks over on the main street, and the hushed sounds of voices carrying from open windows on apartments nearby.

It's odd sometimes to remember that most of the citizens of Konoha led perfectly normal lives. They didn't smuggle arms, or care about politics. They didn't have to worry if their loved ones would return home each night. Or whether someone was waiting to grab them in every shadow. They lived normal lives. Or as normal as they could be in the current political state of the country.

They turn the corner up ahead and walk into a carpool lot, just off the highway exit ramp.

Three familiar cars are parked there, as far from the overhead light as they can be within the boundaries of the lot. A number of people are waiting around them, one far more slender than the rest.

They walk right up to the group.

"Cutting it close there." Comes a lazy voice from behind a face mask. Kakashi glances at Naruto, then rests his eyes on Sasuke as if he knows exactly who is responsible for their delay tonight.

"We had something to take care of." Sasuke answers, not keen on elaborating, seeing as the whole delay had been for nothing because that woman was so damn stubborn.

"Well, we're all here now. Naruto and Sasuke, you're riding with Tenten. Sai still has eyes at the site. We'll rendezvous in the assigned positions and wait for his Go."

"And remember, we need at least one alive to interrogate. Preferably not a lackey." He chuckles without humor. "That hasn't proved very helpful in the past."

They needed to know why the hell they would risk a base in Konoha; it was a clear violation of peace terms and this night may very well launch them into the war they've been tiptoeing around for years, but not if all went to plan.

"Drivers know their positions, lets head out."

With the final command, the unit loads into their vehicles and pull out of the lot.

It's a fair drive to the location of the hide out, but not nearly as far as Sasuke would've preferred. They were still far too close to downtown for comfort. Then again, anywhere in Konoha was too close for comfort for him.

About a mile from their destination the three cars diverge, each entering the neighborhood surrounding the industrial lot from a different direction and pulling into their assigned positions. Each car had a different vantage point of the building; a shit hole of an old shipping facility that had long since seen better days.

At first glance the place looks quiet and empty. But on a closer look, cameras can be spotted surveying the grounds. No patrol though, though he supposes that would've been a dead giveaway for anyone who knew what to look for.

Sasuke tries to settle in for the wait, it could be an hour, or it could be all night, but he needed to keep himself alert enough to react at any moment. The apprehension could be felt like a physical weight on their shoulders.

Naruto sits in the back with bags of ammo under his feet and a few back up weapons – courtesy of Tenten – litter the seat next to him.

He was pretty sure he had seen a rocket launcher in her trunk some weeks ago. Her choice of weapons was both concerning and entertaining. It was no wonder Neji was head over ass for her. The martial artist master and the weapons specialist, it was truly a match made in heaven.

It's a little while before they hear Kakashi speak through the radio again.

"The Big Man has set off the distraction. Eyes sharp. On my signal, Delta, Omega move in towards the roof access."

The distraction: a well-timed explosion set off by Jiraya. His most recent girlfriend had a sweet house on top of the cliffs, and from her backyard Jiraya had a perfect birds-eye view of their neighbourhood of interest. Finding an empty street he could safely take out without casualties wasn't nearly as hard as it would've been in the core. There weren't too many people wandering out and about in this area at this time of night. Locals stayed safely inside locked their homes.

Jiraya watched the dumpster he rigged blow sky high through the binoculars he held with one hand. In his other hand he sipped carefully on a margarita while simultaneously relaying reports back to Kakashi.

Not moments after receiving the confirmation from Jiraya, the bay doors on the building open with a loud bang and 4 black SUV's shoot out and off down the road.

Once they're out of view, they hear Sai come through the radio. "Clear. Four individuals remain. You've got eight minutes until the scouts turn around." Their four cars move in, parking just beyond vantage from the surveillance cameras.

Kakashi, Shikamaru and Anko run single file across the empty lot surrounding the building, keeping within the boundaries of the blind spot described to them by Sai. They hit the wall fast, and Kakashi boosts Shikamaru up onto the roof. He pulls up Anko and then they two of them help lift Kakashi. They run across to the other side of the building where the bay doors are. Hugging close to the wall to avoid the camera there, they drop off the side of the roof, landing in front of the entry.

Here they pause to contact Sai who opens the garage doors remotely. The three of them roll under and are out of sight.

Sasuke can't see what's happening inside but assumes everything is going to plan while he waits for his signal. The remaining members inside should be dead, with one or two restrained to bring back for interrogation.

A few minutes later they hear the confirmation from Kakashi.

Then they hear Jiraya over the radio, alerting them that the cars sent to investigate the distraction are on their way back.

Naruto, Sasuke and Tenten get themselves ready, loading weapons. Getting back up ammo ready for quick access, and generally trying to keep themselves from letting their nerves get the best of them. The waiting was always the worst damn part.

Once the enemy cars pass them, they were to wait 60 seconds before bottle necking them into the garage. The Sound members would run head on into Kakashi's team, and whatever explosives they might've laid down in the short time they had. When they realized the situation and went to retreat, they would run right back into the welcoming arms of his team. It should all be over fast. Hopefully fast enough that the Sound members wouldn't be able to get a message out to their team. Ideally, no one outside their team would know what happened tonight.

When the cars whip past them, Sasuke can feel his stomach settle. Finally, time for action.

They wait for the count of 60, and then drive up. No point in worrying about the cameras anymore. They park across the garage door, covering the entire exit. Tenten pulls out a canister, yanks off the top and tosses it into the garage. It spews heavy gray smoke. They can hear the sounds of gunshots, and a burst of light here and there reflecting off of the smoke.

He kneels down behind the hood of the car and pulls out his firearm. He checks the cartridge for probably the third time that night before he locks it and removes the safety. He rests it across the hood, moving his head as far behind the cabin as he could without blocking his line of sight.

His focus narrows down to himself, Naruto on his left and Tenten off to his right. His eyes are so focused on the entrance through the smoke that they begin to burn, and he blinks away moisture as they water from the strain.

He counts his breaths now, heart hammering in his ears. The shots echoing down the hall come to a quiet. Moments later, they hear the hammering of feet.

Sasuke shifts on his knees, as anxious for his part to begin as he is for it to be over.

The first man cuts through the smoke, blinking at the suddenly bright lights of the garage. His hesitation kills him instantly as Sasuke fires his first shot through his chest. After that shot Sasukes mind becomes muddled. His vision tunnels around the door way the enemy operatives are running out of. He fires off shot after shot, the ringing in his ears replaced by the sound of his breaths. Heavy and hard like he's just run a race.

Naruto next to him swears and ducks down to reload.

Suddenly a plume of fire goes up from somewhere in the cloud of smoke that still fills the garage. The heat of it hitting Sasuke like a wave. It knocks him off balance for just a moment, and he has to lean onto the car to right himself briefly giving up his cover.

Pieces of flaming metal shower them from the explosion. A few pieces burning through his shirt and marking his skin, one ricocheting off his cheek. His cry is drowned out by the crackling of the flames.

Steadying he looks up to take stock of the fight. The flames have begun to die down without any material to feed them. Bodies litter the floor of the garage. As the smoke dissipates Sasuke becomes more certain that no one remains standing. He looks to Naruto, grabbing his shoulder to get his attention. Naruto meets his eyes and nods that he's alright. Sasuke then stumbles around to the other end of the car to find Tenten, whose split her lip on something but otherwise looks fine.

He jerks his head toward the garage before raising his gun and advancing in. He checks each body as he passes them, working his way to the back of the garage. To his relief, none of them are alive.

He heads back to the car where he opens up the radio channel, "Bravo team, all clear. 10/4."

Shortly he hears Kakashi respond, "We're coming your way. Stand by."

A few minutes later, Anko comes striding through the doorway. She beelines for a spot on the floor where she kneels to touch something. She stands with a satisfied smirk holding a canister up in her hand, "The backup. Just in case."

Kakashi and Shikamaru stumbled out shortly after with two prisoners in tow, tied and gagged.

"While I'd say that went well." Kakashi smiles through his mask.

Sasuke, Naruto and Tenten look at him from amidst the wreckage around them. What was once a garage could hardly be identified as such now.

"Next time I'm on explosives." Tenten grumbles, looking from the dents marking up the side of her car to Anko with a glare.

Sakura loved her apartment. It was close to the hospital, close to campus, and not too far from Ino's. Practical. That it was in a crumbier part of the downtown district didn't really bother her too much., she wasn't afraid of drunk men or thieves. She policed them nightly at work.

She climbs up the stairs to the top floor, worth it for the view despite the building being old enough there was no elevator. She turns the key to her door and lets herself inside, happy to finally be home after her long ass day. 6AM-1AM. These Friday night shifts at the bar were going to be the death of her.

After closing the door, she immediately notices something is off. A chill creeps up her spine as her instincts tell her she's not alone, and rather than turn on the light switch she had been reaching for she continues to walk into her apartment in the dark. Each step absolutely silent.

The same can't be said for her intruder, whose presence she pinpoints when he goes to stand and she hears the audible creeeeak as the person's weight shifts. In the breadth of a moment, she is behind the intruder with the blade she keeps tucked in her bra kissing his throat.

She's pressed so close to his body she can feel him tense, at the same moment she smells him. Something woodsy with a tinge of smoke she never quite understood but would recognize anywhere.

"Sasuke." She breathes out. Relieved, she lowers her blade.

He turns to face her, and she can make out the outline of his face now, as her eyes adjust to the dark.

He doesn't say anything back, instead he reaches out to cup the back of her head and gently pull her into his chest. She's small enough that she almost disappears underneath his arms as they wrap around her; her head tucking perfectly beneath his chin. To her great displeasure, she feels her eyes begin to tear up. God dammit. She wasn't sure when exactly things with Sasuke had become so complicated. But they were far too into their standoff, and both were too stubborn to give way to the other. And all this stupid conflict with her best friend made her emotional.

From here she can detect the distinct smell of iron. That metallically smell of blood. But she meant it, he had better damn well go to the hospital; because she wouldn't be patching him up tonight.

He would've preferred to wait for her outside the bar for her, but he knows she wouldn't react well to that. How he'd decided waiting in her apartment for her instead was a better idea, he's not sure. But sure enough, he did. He had to see her. To know for himself that she was safe and unharmed even though the logical part of his brain knows that he was the one in danger tonight, not her.

When he became so paranoid, he's not so sure either.

When she steps into her apartment, he feels a weight lift from his shoulders. The light from the hallway shocks his eyes, and he sees spots and stars as she closes the door.

He stands, the floor creaking under his shift of weight. He doesn't hear her move before he feels something warm and sharp press against his throat. Just as quickly he can feel breasts pressed firm against his back, rising and falling in quick shallows breaths that felt hot against his cold neck. He shifts his shoulder just slightly, a reflex movement to try and make some space between the sharp object and his jugular, but he is surprised to find he can't. She has him in an iron vice between her arms.

"Sasuke." He hears her exhale his name, relaxing her hold and lowering her weapon as swiftly as she had drawn it.

He turns as she pulls her arms away, reaching out to find the back of her head with his palm and pulling her into his chest.

She makes a small sound as her body finds his in the dark, wrapping her hands into the back of his shirt.

The silence around them is deafening as they stand there holding each other.

She's so small, held like this. It's hard to piece together this tiny gentle creature with the person who had caught him off guard with a knife just moments ago.

She lets him hold her for a moment before she pushes him angrily away.

"What the hell do you–" she starts, her hand on his chest, keeping him at a distance. But he's not here for a fight tonight, he growls her name as she tries to keep him at bay. He needs her, right now. He takes her hand on his chest in his and takes hold of her hip with his other yanking her back flush with his chest.

Releasing her hand, he takes her chin and pulls it towards his as he bends down to cover her mouth in a searing kiss. She gasps into his mouth, her rigid posture softening in his arms as she responds just as eagerly.

He lifts her up, and she wraps her toned legs around his waist. His hand is tangled up in her long hair as he kisses her passionately, angrily even. Frustrated the Gods had seen fit to have him fall in love with this maddening creature before him, she makes him furious. Drove him mad with worry. She straight up refused to be taken care of and yet he couldn't stay away from her; he couldn't get enough of her.

Her lips taste sweeter than candy and breathing in her scent makes him heady. He could smell that vanilla deodorant she wears, mixed with her shampoo and a salty undertone of sweat. And he was drunk on it.

He carries her over to the couch, where he perches her on the back so he can explore her neck, licking and nipping as he moves toward her collarbone. He pulls her hair back softly to give him better access.

Sakura's breathing is heavy and her half-lidded eyes gleam at him in the dim light from the moon outside. He lifts his head, moving his lips back to her mouth. His hands slide down to cup her ass and finding the hem of her short dress he yanks it up before he slides his hands back down to massage the skin revealed there. Gods he loved her ass. He tells her so, voice husky against her ear.

He pulls the side of her lacy thong with his finger as he runs his hands up over her hips, releasing it with a smack against her ass that makes her gasp into his mouth. He smirks into the kiss as he devours her.

His hands find the edge of her dress pooling around her waist, and he pulls it the rest of the way up. Sakura lifts her arms to help slide it over her head and in doing so pushes her nearly bared tits roughly into his chest. He can feel the soft flesh of her breasts pushed up by her bra.

He's careful to pull it gently until she's free of the skimpy thing and then he tosses it across the room. His hands move greedily back to Sakura's body, running over her hips and following her waist in before caressing her breasts. Lusciously on display for him to appreciate. He can feel her hard nipples through the fabric of her lacy bra, and it makes his dick pulse with pleasure. He runs his fingers ever so softly over the peaked tips, relishing as she moans and pushes her chest further into his palms. He runs his thumb back and forth, finding deep male satisfaction as her nails dig into where she holds his hips for balance.

He slips the straps off her shoulders, and drinks in the sight of her bare chest revealed before him as the thin garment slides to rest on her hip bones. He palms her breasts, rolling them in his hands before taking her nipple into his mouth. He swirls his tongue, nipping and sucking, her pleasurable gasps pushing him on. One day he would make her cum from playing with her breasts alone, but tonight he needs to taste her, feel her squeeze his dick as he fucks her. He needs her.

He steps back, hooking his pointer finger through the sides of her panties and yanks them off unceremoniously, tossing them over his shoulder. Then he drops to his knees, holding her ass in his generous hands to support her, he pulls her to the edge of the couch. Her fingers run through his hair as he tastes her, working in slow long laps before moving to that spot he knows drives her crazy. Sucking and moving his tongue in maddening circles. When he feels her body start to tense, he stands, quickly replacing his tongue with two fingers inside her.

She grabs desperately for his pants, pulling them down over his hips allowing his generous length to spring free. She takes it in her delicate hand and pumps it up and down, hard. He moans with pleasure, losing his rhythm as he fucks her with his fingers.

He pants her name, pulling her in close and guiding his member to her entrance. Desperate as he is to feel her sweet cunt he restrains himself from pushing right into her and runs the tip over her slick core a few times teasing her, until she's saying his name over and over, begging him for completion.

Pushed to his limit, he plunges himself deep into her. They both groan at the new sensation, and Sasuke makes sure to give her a moment to adjust to his girth before he begins to move.

It doesn't take much to bring either of them over the edge, he fucks her fast and hard and it's so sweet he barely holds on, but like hell would he finish without bringing her to completion first. When she orgasms she feels so tight, convulsing around his member that he can't hold on any longer anyways. They pant together as they ride the waves of their pleasure out.

He lets his forehead fall to rest on her shoulder as he gasps to catch his breath. His hands, so sure and steady moments ago now fumble slightly as he runs his hands over her back, and into her hair. He holds her close to him while he presses small kisses to the crook of her neck.

She rests her head on his, each exhale of hers ruffling his hair, now damp from their efforts.

After a time, he steps back allowing her room to slide off of the furniture and onto the floor. Holding her hand, he leads her quietly to her bedroom where he lies back onto a bed that feels as familiar to him as his own. This room was an array of fond memories from their childhood. He tugs her hand to tell her where he would like her to lie, and she crawls in next to him resting her cheek on his chest.

Sometimes these stolen moments in the late hours of the night felt more real than his whole life.

It was ironic really.

How he had dreamed to join Leaf, only to find the day that he did he would be launched into a whole world of secrets and lies he had never known existed. How the hell was he supposed to share something like that when he couldn't even navigate how he felt about it himself? Let alone what it could mean for Konoha.

But the real irony, he thought, was that he had joined to follow after his brother and his father. But now that he was finally a pledge; the only thing that kept him on the gang was protecting Sakura.

Why the hell she was so determined to become a pledge when she was a damn good medic was beyond him. As a medic she was protected, her safety was damn near guaranteed. She was apprentice to Tsunade for Christ's sake; in line to succeed her as the team's medic and surgeon.

It felt like everything was spinning out of his control, and he was a man used to being in control.

"You don't have to worry so much, you know." She speaks quietly, arching her head back to rest on his shoulder so she can see his face in the moonlight.

Then she sighs, "And I don't actually walk home alone… ever. Everyone and their grandma knows how stupid that would be." She grumbles.

He closes his eyes, "Aa." Alone or not, he would still prefer she would just let him pick her up. He really didn't understand what the big deal was, especially when they met up at his or hers most times anyways.

Women.

Troublesome, in the words of Shikamaru. And he's reminded once again much to his annoyance, how fucking smart that stupid genius is.

A crime considering his horrid taste. In whisky, in woman, in clothing. The guy needed a girlfriend.

Sakura props herself up on her elbow and Sasuke knows that this is where, in Naruto's apt description earlier, he gets his ass handed to him.

"But damn it Sasauke! You can't keep showing up expecting me to drop everything so you can keep me in this, this… this safety bubble you think will protect me from all the hard truths of living the life of a gangster and I'm telling you, the other shoe's going to drop one way or another, no matter how hard you fight it. Better that I'm ready for what comes than hiding like some naïve little girl."

She pauses to take a breath, and her eyes soften as she meets his, "You can't always be there to protect me, Sasuke. You know that…"

"Or at least you used too, until you got this fucking tattoo." She glares at the dark ink covering his chest. "I don't understand what changed."

He reaches out to grab her hand and holds it in his against his chest.

"Sakura." His voice is husky, like he's smoked a little too much weed and needs to clear his throat. "Why do we keep meeting like this?"

"I don't have a lot of free time, Sasuke. I've told you before…" She looks away from him as she repeats her usual line.

"Bullshit. Naruto keeps hounding me for not showing up to lunches that I wasn't even invited too! You're avoiding me."

"But then inviting me into your bed in the middle of the night... How's a guy supposed to keep up with something like that." He sighs and lets his head fall back onto the pillow. "I miss you, Sak. Not just this," he gestures down to their naked bodies, "But us. You. Being able to talk to you without making you mad."

With a groan he rolls over to hover above her, resting on his forearms.

"I love you, okay? And it drives me crazy, but I do." He meets her big green eyes and finds them shining back at him.

"You stupid idiot." Her voice breaks but she pushes on, "I love you." She laughs wetly.

"But you also piss me the hell off with your over-bearing male macho attitude and I can't be your friend if you're going to treat me like I'm some damsel in distress; I'm not. You know I'm not".

"So… yeah, I have been avoiding you." She admits.

"Now that we've hashed all that out, can you knock the whole over-protective thing off? It's getting really old."

"I know you're not some damsel in distress." He sighs, "But I can worry right?"

Sakura grumbles.

"I'm capable of far more than being stuck in a lab and you know it. I can do both, become a doctor and protect Konoha. Just watch me." She challenges.

"I've never doubted whether or not you could. But it's fucking hard to think about the only thing I care about being shot at."

"I know! I have to live through it every god damn day without even a clue where you are or if you're safe. Same as with all my other friends on Leaf too! Did you ever think of that?" She looks at him expectantly.

He can already sense he's fighting a lost battle. Sakura had probably been stewing on this exact lecture for months, knowing her ability to obsess over every detail. He really hadn't ever stood a chance and maybe that was why they had put off this conversation for so long.

They lapse into silence and Sakura looks at him expectantly, satisfied that she had made the winning point.

Sasuke clears his throat before he finally speaks up, "You don't have to do everything by yourself either, you know." He gives her an amused glance, "We always used to look out for each other, just because we're sleeping together doesn't mean that has to change."

She had clearly not prepared for that argument. Sasuke fights the urge to smirk, knowing it would only piss her off and he doesn't want to lose the ground he's made up.

"Well… it's... you know. How Naruto feels. Or felt. About me." She stammers awkwardly. "And he knows I don't feel the same and we're fine. But I don't want him to feel like I'm going to be any different around him if I'm with you. The three of us have been friends for so long, I don't know what I would do without both of you."

"Ultimately that decision is up to him. No sense in you worrying about it." Sasuke simplifies it. "But it's Naruto. He would never give up on his friendship with you. Hell I can't get him to leave me alone."

"Yeah. Yeah, I know you're right." Sakura sighs. "But maybe, let's go slow?"

She feels his chest rumble underneath her, "Sak, we've been sleeping together for months. Our feelings are pretty serious… I think we've blown past slow."

She laughs too, a soft sound that makes him feel warm, "You know how I meant." She chastises him, "Nobody besides us knows any of that. So, let's just, go slow in telling people."

"Well then we definitely should not start with Naruto."

She howls in laughter, and he smiles at her. This beautiful maddening woman. He wonders the last time they were able to talk so easily and is just relieved to have this moment of peace. God, he's missed her.

"Do you work in the morning?" He asks her.

"Not until noon."

"Let's get breakfast then. You owe me a few missed lunch dates."

She giggles, "It's a deal then."

They lapse into an easy silence after that. Enjoying the warmth of each other's bodies.

2 years ago…

The three of them drive down the highway headed back to downtown from Sasuke's flat.

Sasuke drives, because he never lets anyone else drive. And Sakura sits shot gun, because Sasuke's driving and bias is a bitch.

The windows are down, blowing Sakura's light pink hair wildly about. Something cheery plays on the radio, and Sasuke's arm is reached across the console holding Sakura's hand. His friend's happiness combined with the beautiful weather outside made Naruto feel almost optimistic. A rarity lately, since nearly half of downtown had been destroyed in the last year. Most of the remaining residents had moved out into the country side, to stay with relatives where it was safer. Only those working in essential services had remained.

He'd killed his first person, and his second and his third. And then he'd stopped tracking. Because what was the point anyways?

The stark black on Sakura's creamy white skin draws his eye, the fresh ink of the Leaf insignia running across her bicep and onto her shoulder blade. She'd taken to wearing open backed tank tops as often as possible to show it off. There was little she was prouder of; which amused Naruto since she had everything to be proud of. His friend had accomplished far more than anyone else their age; accepted into Medical School, apprentice to Tsunade; and now she was a full member of Leaf. Graduating the same day as he and Sasuke; much to their chagrin.

The typical process to becoming a pledge is that new members are grandfathered in through relatives; or they're head hunted for promising skills. Sasuke and Naruto were both grandfathered in, his older brother had been VP for the better part of Sasuke's childhood and Naruto's father had been President long before that.

Sakura was neither.

Due to friendships and her apprenticeship to Tsunade she often volunteered her medical services to the gang and had been called upon once or twice in emergencies Tsunade hadn't been available for. But for the most part, she wasn't allowed to be involved since she wasn't a member.

Sakura was never one to be told what she can and can't do though.

As soon as he and Sasuke had been taken on as pledges, she had set to work making herself into a member worth head hunting.

She'd trained precision and aim with Kakashi, strength and focus with Tsunade and martial arts with Gai and sometimes Neji. She trained with Jiraya a fair bit too, but what that old perv had to teach her was a mystery to him.

Tenten of course had taught her everything she knew on weapons and tactical. Which was a hell of a lot more than he did.

She trained every morning for nearly a year; with the two of them none the wiser.

Then one year after Sasuke and he had been pledged, they were initiated as full members.

There was no guarantee that any pledge that made it to the year mark would be taken onto the gang; it was essentially a testing day.

A number of senior members were selected to match off against the pledges; everyone drawing a name from a hat.

There were two ways to pass; obviously the first, by winning. But more commonly the President would vote a fight impressive enough that despite their loss the member passes on their skill displayed.

Sasuke had faced Kakashi, and the fight had been close but ultimately Kakashi had had pinned him down for the full count and took the victory. Sasuke was passed.

Naruto had faced Jiraya; who much to Sasuke's surprise put Naruto through the fight of his life, that Naruto ultimately won.

Ino faced Anko, and had her ass handed to her. But she was recruited for other skills, and ultimately only needed basic defensive maneuvers so she was also passed.

Hinata faced Neji and put up an impressive fight for someone so gentle and quiet. But Neji was ruthless, and quickly won. She was passed. Her family name probably held a lot of sway none the less in that result.

Just when everyone started to relax, thinking the event was over they'd heard Tsunade speak up, announcing that there would be one more pledge tested that day.

And that she had an interesting proposition, should they take her up on it.

The big open area of the outdoor training grounds they'd used as their fighting ring cleared out once again, leaving Sakura's bright pink hair standing out in the middle. He could've sworn he saw Sasuke choke on air when he first caught site of her. It would've been funny too if he could've remembered how to breath himself.

"Sakura you'll see an assortment of weapons in front of you, and a number of targets at the far end. I don't think you'll require any more explanation." Tsunade smiles like a Chesire cat.

Naruto was still trying to kick his brain back into gear so that he could catch up on what the heck was happening in front of him.

Sakura, here?

Shooting weapons? Does she know how to throw those knives…?

What?

He looks back to Sasuke who from the expression on his face seems to be experiencing a similar onslaught of questions at the moment before looking back to Sakura, walking confidently over to the table.

She picks up the first weapon, a standard Glock 17M. She weighs it for a moment in her hand, pulling out the magazine before reinserting it and loading the gun. She lifts it quickly and fires one shot – hitting the center first try. She repeats the same movements with the grace of a well-practiced shooter, moving to the riffle and then a pistol. Hitting the bull-eyes each time. She moves onto a number of knives and throwing weapons, which she picks up, flips in her hand before catching them and whipping them dead on into the center of the targets.

Naruto can feel his jaw hanging open but he can't bring himself to pull his attention away from her for one second.

As the last knife hits the target with a satisfying thud, she relaxes her throwing arm and uncoils her body. Turning back to face the gang and Tsunade.

Tsunade's smile only widens as she announces the rest of Sakura's trial, "Sasuke? Naruto?" She calls from where she stands, "Perhaps you two would like to volunteer to face our newest recruit?" She challenges them with her eyes.

His head whips over to Tsunades, then to Sakura's who's standing expectantly in the center of the ring.

There's a long pause before either of them answer, Naruto's not even sure what he would've answered if he'd spoken first.

He hears Sasuke's "Aa," from beside him and stumbles after him as his friend advances to Sakura.

He and Sasuke have fought side by side hundreds of times in training, and yet nothing feels familiar to him as he braces himself next to Sasuke. He lifts his fists loosely then looks back to Sasuke in question, but Sasuke isn't paying any attention to him. He surges forward, trying to rush Sakura. And Naruto can only watch in absolute awe as Sakura blocks every single one of his swings without so much as a grimace. Rather than let him berate her arms until he tires, she begins to dodge his swings all together. Moving effortlessly out of his way only moments before his fist would've met her body.

Without her tell-tale hair, he would never have recognized her.

She moves like water, weaving between Sasuke's arms while her footwork kept him constantly reaching further and further to try to make contact.

So fast he hardly registers what's happened, she finds an opening in Sasuke's onslaught and kicks him hard to the chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

The audible gasp from the gang members looking on spurs Naruto into action, he steps in immediately to cover for his teammate more from muscle memory than conscious thought. He grabs one of Sakura's hands and turning his body he tosses her easily over his shoulder, but instead of hitting the ground and knocking the wind out of her as he had intended, she lands on her feet and somersaults once into a crouched position. From here she drives her fist up and into his chin, followed by a fast jab to his abdomen. He sputters painfully.

As he stumbles back from her, Sasuke regains his composure and squares off with her once again. Sakura cracks her knuckles as they pace around each other, she smiles wickedly at him, "I did tell you I would do it." She says.

"Hn."

They surge each other, and they move so fast Naruto barely follows whose limbs are whose. They tumble to the ground and wrestle for a few more minutes. Every time he's sure Sasuke has her pinned under him she manages to buck him to the side. Over and over they roll, onlookers having to scurry out of their way lest they be taken out like bowling pins. After what feels like ages, they come to a halt. Sakura's sprawled across Sasuke's back, pinning his arm down with hers, and hooking a leg through one of his to prevent him from moving. Leaving him essentially, turtled.

Naruto quickly looks to his friend's face, nervous as to what emotions he might see there. But to his complete and utter surprise, Sasuke almost looks like he's smiling. Almost. Because Naruto isn't even sure Sasuke's face can smile, but his eyes are alight with something that almost looks like pride to Naruto who is still watching dumbly from where he sits on his ass at the far side of the dirt circle.

The next day she sat proudly beside them as the three of them got their insignia's. They had had a wild time last night, Sakura drinking more than she ever has before. Her and Naruto were hungover as shit the next day. Naruto didn't even try to hide his hangover, opting to sit with a bow right in his lap. Even with the bowl he ran for the bathroom a few times.

Sakura held herself together better, but her face was a sickly shade of green until it was over.

It took the better part of the day for the three of them to get through each of their tattoos, but afterwards they felt a new sort of camaraderie.

They were officially members of Leaf.

AN/ I hadn't intended this chapter to be 100% flashbacks... But it seemed to flow well that way.

Let me know what you think!